Released October 25, 2010 Recorded 2010 Length 4:56 | Format Digital download Genre Alternative hip hop | |
Label GOOD Music, Universal Motown | ||
"Mr. Rager" is a song written and recorded by American recording artist Kid Cudi, taken from his second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). The song, produced by Emile, was officially released as a digital download on October 25, 2010.
Contents
Background
In an interview with Complex magazine, Cudi shed light on the song's meaning: "This song is about someone who is fed up with reality, who looks for thrills and excitement by any means. It's just kind of how I was feeling at that point. I was just so angry. Doing coke revived me, and knowing I was so close to death every time intrigued me. I liked the thought of it."
On October 20, 2010, Complex released a video on which he continued to explain the concept of "Mr. Rager": "The whole 'Mr. Rager' thing is not really like a split personality, it is me. However, it's just kinda talking about a certain mind state I was in, a very destructive mind state, where I wasn't thinking clearly.
In December 2011, on one of his viral videos, the late Ben Breedlove, whose videos about his near-death experiences and visions of heaven went viral in 2012 shortly after his death, stated that "Mr. Rager" was his favorite song. A memoir about Ben Breedlove, written by his sister Ally Breedlove, was released in October 2013; the memoir's title was taken from a line in the song, When Will the Heaven Begin?.
Music video
Kid Cudi first spoke of the music video on March 5, 2011, via his Twitter feed, when he announced: "[the] maniac horror short will be released on halloween, rager short this summer, marijuana video this spring. i got you guys, no worries."
On September 8, 2011, Cudi released the official music video for "Mr. Rager". The video, directed by Jérémie Rozan from Surface to Air, features a brief cameo appearance from his mentor Kanye West. The plot and concerns of the video have been subject to much debate.